July Newsletter 2011 - Fat Tracks Mountain Bike Club

FAT TRACKS 

MOUNTAIN BIKE CLUB 

Port Elizabeth - www.fattracks.co.za 

CLUB NEWSLETTER 

July 2011 

inside 

this issue: 

Baakens Valley news 

Competition Time! 

Notice on Longmore Forest 

Caring for your MTB

FAT TRACKS MOUNTAIN BIKE CLUB 


Committee Contact Details 

KATHY VAN DYK 

Chair 

082 789 1603 

kathy@fattracks.co.za 

BRAD JACKSON 

Vice Chair 

082 651 9182 

brad@fattracks.co.za 

DEIRDRE HAYTER 

Secretary 

041 373 2016 

dee@fattracks.co.za 

STEPHEN CRADOCK 

Treasurer 

082 372 3387 

stephen@fattracks.co.za 

JULIE BRIGGS 

083 304 2646 

julie@fattracks.co.za 

JAMES HART 

082 325 2569 

james@fattracks.co.za 

SANDY HART 

082 678 4691 

sandy@fattracks.co.za 

CHARLIE JACKSON 

082 341 5166 

charlie@fattracks.co.za 

About Fat Tracks 

Fat Tracks is the first Mountain Bicycle 

Club in South Africa. Established in 

1989, the club has consistently led the 

growth of Mountain Biking in South 

Africa. As a club we recognize the 

importance of catering for all mountain 

biking enthusiasts irrespective of level 

of fitness or skill. The club organizes 

racing and social events for club and 

visiting members. 

The Newsletter 

Nothing may be reprinted in whole 

or in part without written permission 

from the Chairman. While reasonable 

precautions have been taken to ensure 

the accuracy of information from 

sources and given to readers, the Club 

cannot accept responsibility for any 

inconvenience or damage that may 

arise therefrom. 

Pedal Torque: 

From the Chairman 

Hello Fat Tracks and Friends, 

Thank you to Evan, Melanie and Charl 

for reviving the newsletter. Anyone 

is welcome to submit MTBing related 

stories, race reviews or articles to 

newsletter@fattracks.co.za. 

The calendar has been updated 

for the next six months and the social 

rides on a Friday afternoon have started 

again and we meet at Merrell Norm- 

Hudlin Trails. Saturday social rides 

will take place on the first Saturday of 

every month and Social Evenings on 

the first Friday of every month. We are 

also hoping to organise 2 social riding 

weekends away. Details on these to 

follow shortly. 

Merrell Norm-Hudlin Trails 

A fantastic opportunity for all paid up 

Fat Tracks members for 2011 - you now 

have the opportunity to ride at Merrell 

Norm-Hudlin trails for the next 6 months 

for FREE. You will have to fill in the 

application form and sign the indemnity 

but you will not have to pay the subs 

for the 6 months. Please don’t forget to 

sign in and out when you do make use 

of the trails. 

Permanent Numbers 

Members can collect their permanent Fat 

Tracks number boards from Cyclo Pro. 

You are required to ride with them in 

Longmore Forest (permit still required) 

and Merrell Norm-Hudlin Trails. 

Log Point Races 

Scott Ayton Memorial on the 7th August 

St Francis MTB on the 4th September 

Steeltek on the 2nd October and 

Longmore Classic on the 13th November 

Provincial Marathon Selection events: 

Kat Fort Beaufort on the 11th 

September and Addo Mondi on the 31 

October 2011. 

Upcoming Events not to be missed 

The 4 week Night Series starts on the 

13th of July. 

The first series of 2 Spur 

Schools Legue MTB races and fun is on 

the 23rd July. 

Happy and Safe Mountain Biking 

Kind Regards 

Kathy



THE BAAKENS 

VALLEY MAY 

MONTHLY 

REPORT 

The Baakens Valley Rangers is a 

partnership project of WESSA - 

Eastern Province Region and the 

Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, 

to manage a cohort of Rangers to 

patrol the Baakens Valley, Port 

Elizabeth. 

The Baakens Valley Rangers 

form an integral part of the Walk Safe 

Programme, the security component 

of the Baakens Valley Recovery 

Programme. 

This Baakens Valley Rangers 

programme is funded by: Cannon 

Eastern Cape, Dynamic Commodities 

and Lion Roars. 

Over the last few years, 

neglect and an increase in violent crime 

that reduced community use led to 

degradation of the Baakens Valley. 

A partnership was formed 

in 2007 between Baakens Valley 

Preservation Trust - BVPT), the 

local municipality (NMBM) and an 

environmental NGO (WESSA-EP) to 

attempt recovery of the Baakens Valley 

as a valued community asset; through a 

community-driven process. 

To download the full document, 

please click HERE. 

Key Features of the 2012 Momsen AL329 29er: 

• Oversize taper headtube design frame 

• Lighter SR Raidon air fork with taper steerer tube 

• Remote suspension lockout 

• Shimano PD-M505 clipless pedals 

• Shimano M542 External BB Crankset 

• Stan’s No Tubes ZTR Crest rims with Shimano hubs 

• Shimano HG50 Cassette 11-34t 

• Tyres: Continental X-King 2.4 Fr, Race King 2.2 Rr 

• Lighter handlebar and stem 

• Lock-on grips 

WIN THIS 2012 

MOMSEN 29’er MTB 

You can win this mountain bike by 

entering the MTB Fun and Spur Schools 

League (running from 23 July to 20 

August). The 29er will be available only 

to adults. Up for grabs for the younger 

ones will be a 26er from Momsen,and 

photographs of this bike will be 

released to the public shortly. For this 

competition, don’t wait too long as there 

are only 150 positions open for adults. 

Also, only online entries for the MTB Fun 

and Spur Schools League qualify!



NOTICE: LONGMORE FOREST 

Riders are now required to 

ride with their Fat Tracks 

number boards at all times 

while riding in Longmore 

Forest. 

Longmore Forest is privately 

owned land (owned by MTO Forestry) 

and is a working farm. Money they 

receive from the cycling community 

is minimal, and they only allow us to 

ride there due to some of the foresters 

enjoying the sport themselves. 

It is no-one’s right to ride in 

Longmore Forest, but actually a HUGE 

privilege. Should we not obey their 

general rules (no cars in Longmore 

Forest, no taking down of gates, no 

riding without permits or number 

boards), this arrangement could very 

easily be taken away from us all. We 

urge you to consider all your fellow 

mountain bikers and obey the rules; it is 

for the benefit of all.



NOT EVEN CLOSE TO BEING 

DEAD YET, SAYS SPUD 

On the 14th November 

2010 I weighed 74,8kg. On 

the 20th December 2010 

I weighed 66,4kg, a loss 

of 8,4kg in seven weeks. I 

was drinking over 10 litres 

of water a day, and had to 

take a 3-hour nap as soon as 

I got home from the office. 

My vision went from near 

perfect to not being able 

to see who it was that was 

standing a meter in front of 

my face. 

My quick visit to the doctor on 

the 20th December confirmed that I was 

a Type 2 diabetic with my blood glucose 

at 29,2. My quick visit turned out to be 

the entire morning as well as every day 

for the next week for tests. 

Apart from the vision issue, 

the high blood sugar attacks the body’s 

protein and to a lesser extent body fat. 

This leaves the victim with almost zero 

energy levels. Diabetes can be controlled 

by medication, diet, and exercise, which 

meant that I eventually had to force 

myself out for a ride. This eventually 

happened on the 20th January 2011 in 

kit that was three sizes to large for me. 

It was the toughest 6km I have done for 

a while, made easier by breaking it into 

two 3km rides with a relaxing 30 minute 

break on the railway line before heading 

home and having a three hour recovery 

nap. 

On the 5th February 2011 

I lined up with three friends, Kathy, 

Justin, and Todd, who were going to 

baby-sit me through the Herald Addo 

MTB 45km, and a fine job they did. I 

didn’t think I would make a distance that 

suddenly seemed so daunting after only 

two weeks back on the bike and yet a 

few hours later there we were crossing 

the line together. A month later I was 

crossing the finishing line at the 2011 

Argus in Cape Town and well on my way 

to recovery. 

Where to from here was my 

next question. Diabetes awareness is 

where I am for the rest of my life. I have 

organised a Trans Baviaans team which 

consists of 2 riders with Type 2 Diabetes 

and 2 riders that are non – diabetic. We 

have very kindly had our kit sponsored 

by Accu – Chek, and Futurelife have 

donated a case of their porridge for our 

ride. This year we are riding to simply 

bring awareness about the disease and 

I am dedicating it to my young friend 

Kayla de Beer and all the other young 

kids with Type 1 diabetes. 

My goal for 2012 is to organise 

a Diabetes “Ride for Cure” right here 

in PE, perhaps ambitious and if it gets 

postponed by a year so be it, but happen 

it will. 

Spud is back on the road. 

Keith.heydenrych@gm.com



SPOTLIGHT 

ON: MTB FUN 

AND SPUR 

MTB SCHOOLS 

LEAGUE 

SERIES RACES 

IN PE 

For the third year in a row, 

Fat Tracks is involved with 

the Spur MTB Schools League 

in Port Elizabeth. As with the 

previous events, we cater 

for all club members and not 

schools only. The adults’ and 

schools’ races are separate 

with different start times. 

This helps in keeping it 

fair so that all riders can 

compete against their own 

age groups and fitness and 

skills levels. 

As on previous events this 

year’s will be lap racing on single track. 

One lap will be between 4 - 5km. The 

event takes place at Merrell-Norm Hudlin 

trails that has great singletrack that are 

slow speeds and are non-technical. If 

you are a racer and go fast, you need 

to be agile and skilled to make the tight 

turns at speed! 

Both adults and schools race for 

one hour, and the winner is the one who 

completes the most laps. The emphasis’s 

is on fun, but we promise to have real 

quality riders against whom you can test 

your fitness. 

Proof that the emphasis is on 

fun, the lucky rider gets the biggest 

prize and not the fastest. Two mountain 

bikes are on offer as lucky draws. For 

the adults, a 2012 Momsen 29er, only 

available in SA towards the end of 

August, is available, and a 26er is up for 

grabs for the schools league entrants 

only. 

All schools league riders who 

participate in both events will receive a 

free Norm Hudlin membership valued at 

R50. Only online entries will qualify for 

the bike draws and starter packs. 

Adults entries limited to 150 

and for the schools league starter packs 

are limited to first 100 entrants. For your 

entry form and more info, please visit 

Fat Tracks at http://www.fattracks.co.za. 

CARING FOR YOUR BIKE 

WORDS AND PICTURE BY Charl Joubert 

There are many myths and 

misconceptions about caring 

for your bike. 

Always clean your bike: Be 

careful who you take advice from. When 

I got my first (steel frame) bike my 

friend suggested the best way to clean 

a bike is with Handy Andy! Great for a 

clean bike, but it takes all protection off 

and corrosion sets in quick. 

• A good idea is to clean your bike with a 

good liquid car shampoo combined with 

a wax base. DON’T bring any pressure 

hose close to your bike. It is very 

tempting, but a big no. To play it safe, 

use only a bucket and sponge. Beware 

of water getting into any pivot points on 

a dual suspension. Once every 3 to 6



FAT TRACKS 

TALKS TO 

FACEBOOK’S 

THE TWIGG 

WORDS BY The Twigg 

I, The Twigg have been 

called on by representatives 

of a group you call FAT 

TRACKS. It seems the 

whimpering and crying of 

grown men has become too 

much to bare. They make 

the fatal mistake you see, 

of comparing their skill and 

levels of speed and prowess 

to I, The Twigg. 

It is on their knees that I was 

approached and after thought have 

decided to assist in making you the 

members of this group Fat Tracks more 

adept at trying to compete with me. My 

driving force is to be challenged. 

So it is with this in mind that I 

have planned what is to follow: 

months use a normal car wax. It helps 

to protect and dirt does not stick to wax 

so easily. 

• Clean your bike before you store it: 

The worst thing you can do to a bike is 

clean it with a hose and put it away for 

a week or more. The tiny water particles 

will sit in you chain and any bearing 

helping corrosion. 

• No harm can be done storing your bike 

dirty after a dry ride. The same does not 

apply after a wet ride. 

• Best to do after a good wash or wet 

ride is dry it as best as possible, lube 

the chain and all pivot points and go for 

a ride, even if it is only short. When the 

parts start moving most of the water will 

evaporate. 

• I will nominate your representatives 

to hold gatherings of you riders, where 

depending on your levels you will be 

accommodated in rides varying from, 

“at least I am on my bike and enjoying 

nature” to “how can The Twigg be so 

good” 

• I will be present at these rides, but 

will not lead. The trails will be mine. The 

crying not. 

Participate. I dare you. Let me 

see you sweat... 

If you dare visit Fattracks’s own 

“The Twigg” on facebook: http://www. 

facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/The- 

Twigg/199928163370936



MELANIE’S SANI2C ADVENTURE 2011 

WORDS AND PICTURES by Melanie and 

Russell Darlow. 

Team Ken and Fred*, Russell 

(husband) and I arrived 

at Underberg School on 

Tuesday 17 May to register 

for what was to be the most 

amazing experience of my 

life: the Sani2C Adventure. 

This is where the experience 

started and where we were 

spoilt with the most amazing 

clothing that probably came 

to half our entry fee if not 

more. 

We were lucky enough to have 

friends of friends living 6km outside of 

Underberg on a dairy farm, so they had 

as for the night and we could enjoy a 

warm sleep in a comfy bed before the 

start of our Day One. 

We were in ‘I’ batch scheduled 

to leave at 08h20, and what a vibe in 

the starting chutes! We set off on an 

undulating district road for 7km, winding 

through some pastures before the first 

climb. We then entered some dual single 

track through the Oak Maze, a little 

more district road and then the first 

significant climb up to the highest point 

of the event, then some fast downhill 

dual single track through cool pine 

forests and double bridge crossings. 

Through the forest towards the 

valley, approaching the 200m curved, 

submerged and floating bridge – I was 

sure I was going to fall off of this bridge 

and this is what I feared most of Day 

One. Absolutely awesome! 

Some more single track 

awaited us on our approach to our first 

water table at Donnybrook. I don’t 

think any water tables can live up to 

those of Sani’s: chocolates, energade, 

coke, donuts, flapjacks and syrup, 

banana bread, potatoes, Chelsea buns, 

sandwiches, oranges, bananas, and 

more, and they weren’t all the same! 

Refuelled we set off through the forest, 

some up and down, followed by some 

more single track with a few technical 

sections taking us down to the final 

valley for the day. Day One’s 83km 

ended with a short and nasty climb to 

the finish at Mackenzie Country Club 

where we had a warm welcome and 

enjoyed recovery drink with, took our 

bikes for a wash before parking them on 

the tennis courts until we visited them 

later to give them TLC. We collected our 

box filled with our kit for the three days, 

found our tents and then headed to the 

showers - no queues - before feasting on 

lunch. 

We relaxed a bit until supper 

time and the race briefing for Day Two 

and rounded that off with a prize-giving 

where they humiliated the first ones to 

cross the finish line as the Adventure 

is about having fun and not about 

racing and winning. They showed us 

photographs of the day too. We had a 

shower of rain, which sent everyone 

running for their tents, which fortunately 

didn’t last long. 

With batch ‘A’ only leaving 

at 7am, we left in ‘I’ again at 08h20 

so we didn’t have to get up too early. 

Coming from warm PE we weren’t too 

well kitted out, so we ventured out with 

bare arms and legs and teeth chattering, 

but soon warmed up as we started 

riding, doing the first few kilometres 

of district road (which was to be pretty 

much the last for the day) leading us 

into a forest with fast singletrack leading 

to the Umkomaas Valley. These took 

us past some of the most spectacular 

views of the mighty Umkomaas Valley, 

especially as we had a lovely clear day. 

We then wound our way down the “wow” 

dramatically positioned single track with 

switchback descents, descending over 

25km, dropping into the valley, where 

we could smell our brakes burning. 

Speaking of brakes: while 

taking my eyes off the road in front of 

me for just a split second to look down 

to the left to see what lay around the 

hairpin bend, a guy a few metres ahead 

of us in our line stopped. To avoid me 

going into Russell (in front of me), I 

pulled those brakes rather hard, the 

front ones obviously working better 

than the back, and it saw me landing on 

my head. Well, my first fall in MTBing 

where I wasn’t only going 0.1km/h an 

hour. They say there are two types of 

MTBers: those who have fallen and those 

who have yet to fall. Shall I say I was 

“promoted”. 

After gathering myself, I 

then continued along the descent 

of switchbacks rather cautiously. 

Fortunately it wasn’t too long until 

we were onto a smooth, fast, bushlined 

footpath leading past the remote 

homesteads of Mchunu’s two wives, 

many children and grandchildren, all 

cheering us on. Leaving the dancing 

Mchunus behind, we entered the real 

African bush where the flowing single 

track of ‘Heaven Or Hell’ races through 

the thorn trees for 3km before the final 

climax of Tamika’s Detour, that bottomed 

out on the banks of the Umkomaas 

River. 

The reality set in that seeing as 

we had come down into the valley we’d 

need to getup and out of it too... Firstly



though, we followed some trails along 

the banks of the Umkomaas for 25km, 

where these flats led us onto another 

semi-suspended floating bridge and over 

another well constructed bridge and over 

to the south side of the river, where we 

could fill up at our first watering table 

(39km mark). From here the climbing 

started with mostly single track, but 

included about eight river crossings. We 

pushed a bit on some of these climbs, all 

of this single track and climbing led us 

to the Nandos stop (second water table 

– for lunch) where the school kids from 

the local farm school waited on us hand 

and foot, lubed our chains, filled our 

water bottles and washed our bikes. 

When we thought we were done 

climbing and it was time for the home 

stretch, we were told we had two more 

climbs. Its not called Push of a Cimb for 

nothing. 

After this the gradient becomes 

more manageable and we enjoyed 

some flatter single track onto some 

fast downhill timber roads to the last 

watering table of the day, which left us 

with only 15km for the day: undulating 

forest roads to then finish off the day 

with some long nasty climbs and a tricky 

section with our finishing after 101km on 

the top of a long hill. 

We were welcomed with the 

same well organised procedure with 

recovery drinks, biking cleaning, our 

boxes and tents, and great meals at 

Jolivet, where our tents were pitched 

between the orange orchards. We could 

even have lunch, even though most 

people arrived closer to supper, and 

we thought the Nandos was our lunch. 

We then tucked into the most tender 

steak for supper (for 1300 riders) and 

our race briefing for Day Three followed 

by a presentation of the day. There 

was a large number of non-finishers 

on Day Two, particularly as we ran out 

of daylight hours. However, the cooler 

weather definitely made Day Two more 

bearable, instead of when the Sani is 

in March where the Umkomaas valley 

reaches temperatures of 40˚C. 

We learned that after our Day 

Two’s efforts, despite the fall, we must 

have been passing a few teams on 

the hills as we managed to move up a 

starting batch for Day Three batch ‘H.’ 

Having not pushed ourselves 

too hard on Day One and Two, we felt 

surprisingly good. And my butt felt fine, 

thanks to Velotex Red Label shorts! 

Day Three, which is said to 

be the easiest of the three days, was 

rather fast through a lot of sugar cane 

up into the first and hard climb of the 

day, followed by some rollercoasting 

single track. It was towards the end of 

this fast descent I encountered some 

hidden boulders at the 40km on a fast 

downhill that caused my front wheel to 

slip into a donga and had me ploughing 

shoulder first into the ground. When 

my knees stopped shaking, I stopped 

feeling sorry for myself and pedalled on 

very cautiously and I took all downhills 

that followed extremely slowly. With my 

shaky legs, and fear of coming off at 

0.1km/h, I mostly pushed a few short 

steep climbs, where I’d normally think 

it was no problem and then into a hectic 

steep technical climb known as Work to 

be Done. 

We enjoyed some single 

track through coastal bush, and when 

entering the coastal terrain it is at least 

a reminder that we’re nearing the end. 

But just as I thought it is over (you are 

a reminded a few times by “Life is not 

all Downhill” – a lot of those signs but 

up along the routes over the three days, 

Sani’s slogan), we had a very long climb 

over Heart Rate Hill. At the top of this, 

we get to catch our breaths at the last 

watering table of the day and enjoy the 

last Sani feast. And it was only here 

that we bumped into the only other PE 

rider, Paul Kemp, after trying to find him 

over the three days (I spotted him in his 

Squirt attire). 

We started the last 20km like a 

horse that knows they are headed home. 

It was mostly downhill with some more 

single track until the Scottsborough 

beach, and this year fortunately there 

was a scaffolding bridge over the river, 

rather than a floating one. As was par 

for the course, the day ended with a 

long steep tar hill up to Scottburgh High 

School. We crossed the finish line after 

our 75km and the emotion I felt having 

finished caught me by surprise. And all 

I got from my team mate and husband 

was: “Girls!?”. 

I was so grateful and thrilled 

to have experienced the Subaru Sani2C 

Adventure experience. Well done to 

Farmer Glen and his team for a fantastic 

ride, the most awesome routes, well 

prepared, well organised and all was 

absolutely faultless! This should be what 

every MTBer aspires to experience. 

Thank you to my husband, Russell who 

completed Sani in 2009 with a friend, 

Mark (Mark rode in 2010 with another 

partner) and Russell wanted me to ride 

it with him in 2011. So, from being 

someone who up until January 2010 

used to do 20km once a month, started 

riding more frequently, I could ride and 

enjoy and FINISH this great Adventure! 

*We cycled in memory of Russell’s dad 

Ken and Mark’s dad Fred, who both 

passed away from cancer. Russell’s dad 

passed away the day Sani entries for 

2011 opened.



STRETCHING 

101: SUMMIT 

ADVICE 

TEAM SKY AT THE TOUR 

DE FRANCE AND THE FAT 

TRACKS CONNECTION 

WORDS BY Charl Joubert AND PICTURE 

Supplied. 

I am sure most of our 

newer Fat Tracks members 

do not know that John Lee 

Augustyn, who is riding for 

Team Sky, started as a Fat 

Tracks member at a very 

young age. We are really 

proud of our connection. 

John Lee became an honorary 

Fat Tracks member in 2008, meaning 

that Fat Tracks have a club member 

riding for one of the most professional 

cycling teams in the world! He ranks 

among one of the best cyclists in South 

Africa and certainly no one willl ever 

forget the way he rode away from the 

best riders in the world on the highest 

pass during the 2008 Tour de France. 

This all when he was only 21 years old! 

We are missing John Lee in 

the Tour de France, but know he is still 

recovering from extensive hip surgery. 

The good news is that all is going well 

and that he should be ready to race 

again at the end of August. I am sure 

all at Fat Tracks wish him well, and we 

hope to see him racing at the top level 

soon again. 

For more information on John 

Lee and his cycling, click here: http:// 

www.teamsky.com/profile/0,27291,1754 

3_6638057,00.html 

A regular stretching routine has 

proven to increase flexibility and 

produce positive benefits within 

muscles and joints. Flexibility aids in 

injury prevention, helps to minimize 

muscle soreness, and improves 

efficiency in all physical activities. 

Good flexibility has been shown 

to increase the range of motion 

in joints and increase elasticity of 

muscles. 

The common school of thought 

has been that stretching should be 

done during/post warm-up, and after 

the workout. Recent evidence has 

shown that stretching before the actual 

exercise bout (case in point: MTB race) 

can actually decrease performance. 

However pre-exercise stretching does 

not increase the likelihood of injury or 

significantly decrease it. A warm-up is 

vital before exercise or competition, and 

a post exercise bout stretching routine is 

not only highly recommended, but can 

be seen as essential. 

Research studies on hamstring 

injuries have shown that athletes with 

the lowest flexibility have the greatest 

chance of injury. The type of increased 

flexibility needed for reducing injury 

does not come from doing stretching 

exercises right before the activity; rather 

the increased flexibility required for 

fewer injuries comes only from doing 

weeks of stretch training. 

Additional research has also 

shown that regular, intense stretching 

for a minimum of 10 minutes will bring 

some major beneficial changes in 

neuromuscular-tendon units. Increased 

strength and endurance gains as well as 

improved flexibility and mobility have 

also been reported. 

To download the full document, please 

click HERE.

July Newsletter 2011 - Fat Tracks Mountain Bike Club

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